Surprise Storm Water Fee

[Pam R.]

Just something interesting I thought I'd share:

I opened today's mail, and found a $30 bill for a storm water fee for one of my rental units (one side of a duplex) in Delaware, OH. Odd, because the units are metered separately, even the water, and the tenants have all utilities in their name.

So I did a quick Google search, and found the city enacted a $2.50/month storm water fee back in 2001, and it is tacked on to the water bill. For some reason, this one is not on the bill. I just bought the property last April, so this is the first time I've seen this.

I'll be making some calls to the utility on Monday to get some more info: why it's not on the bill, does it cover both units (they each have their own address), if not, is the other paying their fee through the water bill? Can I get it added on to the bill from here on out?

I'm just going to pay this and not even tell the tenant, as it's only $30.

But I just thought I'd share about a completely unexpected utility that pops up 8 months after purchase. I'm sure glad it isn't $300!